German Jonas Folger withdraws from Japanese Moto GP due to illness

Yamaha German rider Jonas Fogler on Thursday withdrew from the Japanese Moto GP race scheduled for the weekend due to illness.

Fogler, 24, had to pull out of the 16th race of the MotoGP championship after doctors advised him to return immediately to Munich to undergo medical tests, reports Efe.

"I came to Japan and was motivated for these three flyaway races, but I've been feeling really weak since the Misano and Aragon rounds," he said in a team statement.

He said that doctors who checked him "have advised me to return to Germany right away for a series of blood tests."

Fogler could be struggling again with mononucleosis, which he suffered from in 2012.

"I've had Epstein Barr virus in the past and it's a possibility that this has flared up again and resurfaced, but we can't be sure until I've had these tests in Munich," he added, referring to the virus that causes mononucleosis.

Fogler holds the 10th spot in the MotoGP World Standing 2017 with 84 points, 140 points behind Spanish defending champion and leader Marc Marquez with four races to go, including the Japanese GP.